GEORGETOWN, DE – The founder of Georgetown Speedway – Melvin L. Joseph – will be honored with an opening weekend in 2018.

Georgetown Speedway has announced its Northeast dirt Modified opener will expand to a two-day event. The Melvin L. Joseph Memorial kick-starts the season at the Sussex County facility on Friday-Saturday March 16-17.

The Friday night (March 16) portion of the program will be headlined by small-block Modifieds competing in a 30-lap feature paying $3,049 to the winner. Also on Friday’s agenda are the RUSH Crate Late Models, Delmarva Chargers and Delaware Super Trucks. Open practice rounds are planned for big-block Modifieds looking to compete on Saturday.

Of course the Saturday (March 17) program is topped by the 49-lap Melvin L. Joseph Memorial headliner, which serves as the Bob Hilbert Sportswear Short Track Super Series (STSS) Fueled By Sunoco Velocita South Region opener. The 49-lap feature offers $4,900 to win and $490 to take the green.

This event serves as the 50th race in Short Track Super Series history.

Two-day passes will be available for both the grandstand and pit areas.

In the event of inclement weather, each day is independent of the other.

“We wanted to really build up the Melvin L. Joseph Memorial weekend,” Georgetown promoter Brett Deyo said. “It’s the 50th event for our Short Track Super Series and having two days of racing – with two strong payouts – should entice the best Modified drivers in the Northeast to start their season with us in Delaware.

“We’re hoping to build on our camping and all-around atmosphere of the Northeast dirt Modified opener.”

A Sunday rain date (March 18) is in place for the weekend.

Tentatively, gates on Friday are slated to open at 4 p.m. in the pit area and 5 p.m. for the grandstand with hot laps at 6:20 p.m. and racing at 7:15 p.m.

Saturday is set for noon to unlock the pits and 1 p.m. for the stands. Hot laps will begin at 3 p.m., with racing at 4 p.m.

Complete pricing will be released in the coming days.

Camping will be permitted free of charge (no hook-ups) and teams will be permitted to leave haulers in the pit area overnight.

The event honors the memory of Melvin L. Joseph, the founder of Georgetown Speedway and a Sussex County business icon who was also a pioneer in the NASCAR community as a car owner and builder of Dover (Del.) International Speedway. Mr. Joseph passed away in 2005 but his legacy continues.

Mr. Joseph’s family will be present at the event and his lucky number ‘49’ will be prominent throughout the weekend.

A preliminary practice session for the weekend has been set for Saturday, March 10 from 1-5 p.m.

Georgetown Speedway, originally constructed by Melvin L. Joseph in 1949, is located at the intersection of Route 113 and Speedway Road in Georgetown, Del., just miles from the Delaware beaches and less than a 40-minute drive from Ocean City, Md.